Surgeons often require screws or other bone fixation devices when performing a variety of orthopedic procedures. A wide variety of bone screws exist which are adapted to perform specific functions or to be compatible with a specific type of bone tissue or orthopedic implant.
However, the use of bone screws presents certain challenges. For example, bone screws which are not secured to the driver during implantation can slip off and become lost within surrounding muscle tissue. Retrieval of these screws proves difficult when the bone area is surrounded by a large amount of soft tissue.
Accordingly, in performing orthopedic surgery it is desirable for the bone screw to be coupled to a driver to allow attachment of the screw to the driver prior to implantation in the bone, in order to avoid losing the screw in the surrounding soft tissue during the procedure, and to allow release of the screw in a desired manner after implantation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,394,103 discusses retaining screws using internal threads.